Grain door



ATTORNEYS.

M. J. FORD GRAIN DOOR Filed July 29, 1959 March 5, 1963 tred lteres 3,il79,956 G-Rssl DGQR Michael l'. Ford, Hartsriaie, NX., assigner, by mesne assignments, of one-half to international Paper Company, New York, NSY., a corporation of New York, and oneto The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Qonneeticnt Filed uly 29, 1959, Ser. No. {ifriltl 9 laims. Cl. 16d-S7) This invention relates to a grain door or closure for freio'nt vehicles.

An obiect of the invention is to provide a closure which may be readily installed by unskilled personnel in a minimum of time while at the same time providing an extremely sturdy door structure. A further object is to utilize a wrapper for the door panels as a means for completing the sealing of the door and the forming of a floor flap. A still further object is to provide a door in which tire reiuforming metallic member is continuous so that the nails may be driven at any point along the side of the sections to the door frame. Other specific objects and advantages will `appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown, in an illustrative embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in which- FIGURE l is a perspective view showing a freight vehicle and a grain door embodying my invention applied thereto; HG. 2, a vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale; HG. 3, a broken perspective view of door sections enclosed within a wrapper which is later employed to seal the door; and FlG. 4, an enlarged detail sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 4 4 of FlG. l.

ln the illustration given, A designates a railway boxcar provided with a door frame B, and C designates a closure for the door consisting mainly of the panels lil and il.

Any number of panels may be employed, but l prefer to use at least two panels in the manner illustrated in FlGS. l and 2. Each panel comprises a double core corrugated board. As shown best in FIG. 4, the corrugated core l2 is bonded to an outside paper linear l5, and the corrugated core le is bonded to an outer paper linear lf3. Each of the cores i2 is are bonded at ytheir inner sides to a continuous metal sheet le, which may be formed of aluminum, aluminum alloy, thin steel, tin, or other reinforcing metal, which provides a reinforcement for the corrugated board structure. instead of the corrugated board, it will be understood that one may use berboard, the metal sheet l5 being embedded centrally within the tibers of the fiber board, the fibers Ibeing confined between liner sheets such as sieets 13 and l5, as illustrated in FlG. 4.

The sections l and il are preferably arranged for ship ment one above the other, as illustrated in FlG. 3, and wrapped with a cover i7 formed of paper reinforced with sisal libere, glass fibers, or the like, and the package may then be secured by straps i3, etc.

When the board is to be erected, l place the panels lll and li in the position shown in FIG. l and secure them by nails 19 which must pass through the metal reinforcing sheet le, since this is coextensive with the door panels. I next place the cover sheet i7 taken from the package shown in FIG. 3 and secure it over the panels it? and 1l by the use of nails 2t?, a portion of the cover being extended over the door to form a flap 17a. A door or climbrail 2 may then be secured in position and a pry-board 22 may be secured over the iloor ap la.

The completed structure is effective in that the cover i7 extends over the line or" separation between the panels lo and il. while also providing the sealing flap la over the vehicle iioor.

'The structure provided as described above may be fle@ afd erected by unskilled persons because the nails passing through the border of each panel necessarily secure also the reinforcing metal sheet 16 While at the same time the line of separation between the panels is effectively covered by the outer sisal or liber-reinforced wrapper. For shipment, the package is extremely compact and there is no waste because the wrapper itself is utilized in the final erection and sealing of the door. Further, the wrapper provides an additional seal about the side edges of the panels lil and l1 after these have been secured in position.

While l have shown the door as a sectional door, with sections l@ and 11 combined, it will be understood that my new closure may be formed in a single panel with the central metal sheet continuous throughout.

While, in the foregoing specification, l have set forth aspecitic structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating my invention, it will be understood that such details of structure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

l claim:

l. In combination with a freight vehicle having a doorway defined by spaced-apart, vertically-extending frame members, a plurality of identically dimensioned, atfaced, rectangular panels, each of said panels having a longer edge disposed horizontally to position said panels across said doorway, each of said panels having shorter edges disposed vertically of said frame members, said panels being vertically superposed to form a temporary door for said doorway with said shorter edges beingaligned to define the vertical sides of said door, each ypanel comprising external layers of fibrous material enclosing intermediate metal reinforcing means, nails eX- tending through said layers and reinforcing means securing said panels to said frame members, and a ilexible librous sheet overlapping said door at the vertical sides thereof, means securing said sheet in the overlapping portions thereof to said vehicle, said sheet having a dimension parallel to said vertical sides greater than said vertical sides to provide a floor flap portion, said nails securing said panels to said frame members independently of securing said sheet to said vehicle.

2. ln combination with a freight vehicle having a door-l way detined by a floor and spaced-apart vertical frame' members, a plurality of identically dirnensioned, ilat faced, rectangular closure panels each having a long dimension greater than the spacing between said frame members, said panels being positioned across said doorway interior-ly of said vehicle in vertically superposed fashion with the long dimensions disposed horizontally and with the panels in overlapping relation with said frame members, each panel comprising external layers of corrugated material enclosing intermediate metal reinforcing means, said metal reinforcing means being coextensive with said panel layers so as to also overlap said frame members, nails extending through said layers and reinforcing meaus securing said panels to said frame members, and a paper sheet overlying said panels adjacent the faces thereof remote from said frame members, means securing said sheet to said vehicle, said sheet being genorally rectangular and extending onto said licor, said sheet having a horizontal dimension greater than said panel long dimension, whereby said sheet extends horizontally beyond said panels, said nails securing said panels to said vehicle independently of securing said sheet to said vehicle.

3. in combination with a freight vehicle having a doorway detined by spaced-apart, vertically-extending frame members and a floor, a plurality of identically dimensioned, flat faced, rectangular panels, each of said panels ,lation with'said frame members, and a paper sheet overlying said panels interiorly of said vehicle, said sheet eX tending, horizontally beyond said panels to effect a side seal and-extending onto said floor to provide a oor flap, nails securing said panels to said vehicle independently of securing said sheet to said vehicle or to said panels, and additional nails securing saidsheet torsaid vehicle.

, 4. An article of'rnanufacture adapted to provide a temporary closure for the doorway of la freight vehicle, comprising a plurality, of `identically dimensioned, flat faced, rectangular panels arranged in aligned relation to form a VSix-sided' stack, each of said panels comprising external layers of fibrous material Yenclosing metal reinforcing;

means, a paper wrapper about said stack enclosing all of the sides thereo`f,-said wrapper being `dimensioned to over. lap said panelsfwhen the same are arranged'in'coplanar abutting fashion to form adoor closure, and strap'means about said wrapper. 4 v Y' v 5. Anl articleof manufacture adapted to provide a temporary closure for the doorway ofa freight vehicle, comprising a plurality of flat faced, rectangular panels having substantially identical yshort and long dimensions, said'panels being arranged'in' aligned relation to form a six-sided. stack, each of said panels comprising external layers of` corrugated paperboard material enclosing metal reinforcing means, a paper wrapper about'saidstack enclosingalleofthe sides'thereof, said wrapper being generallyrectangular and having one dimension greater than.v thelong dimension of each of said panels and another die,

mension greater than the. sum ofthe short dimensions of said panels, and strapv means about said wrapper.

6. An articlevof manufacture'adapted to provide a temporary closure for the doorway of a freight vehicle, comprising a plurality of flat faced, rectangular panels having ,substantially identicalshort and long dimensions, said panels being arranged in aligned relation to form a sixsided stack, each of said panels comprising external layersof corrugated paperboard enclosing metal reinforcing means, a paper wrapper about said stack enclosingall of the sides thereof,v said wrapper being'folded on two of said stack sides and having a dimension parallel tosaid sides greater than vthe sum of the panel dimensions parallel to said sides, whereby said sheet isl adapted to overlap said panels when the same are arranged in coplanar, abut-` ting fashion'to'forni adoor'closure, and strap means about said wrapper securing said panels in aligned relation.

- 7.. In av methodAV of closing a vehicle4 doorway opening-'Vl defined by vertically-extending frame members, the steps ofproviding at least a pair of il'atjdoor'sectionsv wrapped with" a fibrous wrapper, each sectionV comprising' fibrous layers with metal reinforcing means therebetween, said wrapper having an area Whenarranged in planar fashion greater than the composite varea of said sections, unwrapping said sections and securing them in vertical superposed relation on said frame members to define a closure having upper and lower horizontal sides anda pair of vertical sides, and securing said' wrapper to' said" vehicle in overlapping relation with the said closure lower horizontal and vertical sides. K

8. In aV method for closing a vehicle door opening' delined by a floor and a door frame,lthe steps of providing a plurality of metal reinforcedco'rrugated paper door 'sections wrapped in a paper cover, unwrapping said sections at a site of installation and securng'tliemv in superposed relation across the door opening, applying said cover to said sectionsvwhile leaving a lower portion of .the cover projectinginteriorly of the vehicle to form a floor ap, and sealing said cover aboutvthevertical edges of said superposed sections.

9. In a method ofclosirig a vehicle doorway openingv denedvby a floor and spaced-apart'vertical kframe mem:Q bers, the steps' of providing'a plurality of identicallyxdimensioned, flat faced, rectangular,panelswrappe'd in a paper wrapper, said panels being'arranged in aligned relation to form a stack, unwrapping said panels adjacent the door opening to be closed, securing said' penels tof said door frame members in overlapping relation therewith and with said panels in vertical superposed relation; each of said panels comprising outer corrugated paperboard layers enclosing metal reinforcing means, all of said layers andv reinforcing means overlapping said frame members, and securing said wrapper over said panels and interiorlyV of said vehicle with said wrapper overlappingthe superimposed panels along the lower horizontal side: and vertical sides thereof to provide seals therealong.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES'PATENTS 1,895,625 Hummel Ian. 31, 1933.V 2,012,131 Kondolf Aug; 20, 1935` 2,091,918` Finck Aug. 31, 1937.1 2,203,107 Schmitz June y4, 1940 2,689,608` Suess Sept.Y 2,1, 1954 2,742,145 Blackburn et al Apr. 17, 1956 2,794,761 Y Williamson Junefl, 1957l 2,885,073 Bettoli et al Mayf 5,1959 2,892,497 Pierson` June 30, 19.59, 2,953,200 Ford et al. Sept. 20, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Y Jan. 24,v i935r 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A FREIGHT VEHICLE HAVING A DOORWAY DEFINED BY SPACED-APART, VERTICALLY-EXTENDING FRAME MEMBERS, A PLURALITY OF IDENTICALLY DIMENSIONED, FLATFACED, RECTANGULAR PANELS, EACH OF SAID PANELS HAVING A LONGER EDGE DISPOSED HORIZONTALLY TO POSITION SAID PANELS ACROSS SAID DOORWAY, EACH OF SAID PANELS HAVING SHORTER EDGES DISPOSED VERTICALLY OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS, SAID PANELS BEING VERTICALLY SUPERPOSED TO FORM A TEMPORARY DOOR FOR SAID DOORWAY WITH SAID SHORTER EDGES BEING ALIGNED TO DEFINE THE VERTICAL SIDES OF SAID DOOR, EACH PANEL COMPRISING EXTERNAL LAYERS OF FIBROUS MATERIAL ENCLOSING INTERMEDIATE METAL REINFORCING MEANS, NAILS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID LAYERS AND REINFORCING MEANS SECURING SAID PANELS TO SAID FRAME MEMBERS, AND A FLEXIBLE FIBROUS SHEET OVERLAPPING SAID DOOR AT THE VERTICAL SIDES THEREOF, MEANS SECURING SAID SHEET IN THE OVERLAPPING PORTIONS THEREOF TO SAID VERHICLE, SAID SHEET HAVING A DIMENSION PARALLEL TO SAID VERTICAL SIDES GREATER THAN SAID VERTICAL SIDES TO PROVIDE A FLOOR FLAP PORTION, SAID NAILS SECURING SAID PANELS TO SAID FRAME MEMBERS INDEPENDENTLY OF SECURING SAID SHEET TO SAID VEHICLE.
 4. AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE ADAPTED TO PROVIDE A TEMPORARY CLOSURE FOR THE DOORWAY OF A FREIGHT VEHICLE, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF IDENTICALLY DIMENSIONED, FLAT FACED, RECTANGULAR PANELS ARRANGED IN ALIGNED RELATION TO FORM A SIX-SIDED STACK, EACH OF SAID PANELS COMPRISING EXTERNAL LAYERS OF FIBROUS MATERIAL ENCLOSING METAL REINFORCING MEANS, A PAPER WRAPPER ABOUT SAID STACK ENCLOSING ALL OF THE SIDES THEREOF, SAID WRAPPER BEING DIMENSIONED TO OVERLAP SAID PANELS WHEN THE SAME ARE ARRANGED IN COPLANAR ABUTTING FASHION TO FORM A DOOR CLOSURE, AND STRAP MEANS ABOUT SAID WRAPPER.
 7. IN A METHOD OF CLOSING A VEHICLE DOORWAY OPENING DEFINED BY VERTICALLY-EXTENDING FRAME MEMBERS, THE STEPS OF PROVIDING AT LEAST A PAIR OF FLAT DOOR SECTIONS WRAPPED WITH A FIBROUS WRAPPER, EACH SECTION COMPRISING FIBROUS LAYERS WITH METAL REINFORCING MEANS THEREBETWEEN, SAID WRAPPER HAVING AN AREA WHEN ARRANGED IN PLANAR FASHION GREATER THAN THE COMPOSITE AREA OF SAID SECTIONS, UNWRAPPING SAID SECTIONS AND SECURING THEM IN VERTICAL SUPERPOSED RELATION ON SAID FRAME MEMBERS TO DEFINE A CLOSURE HAVING UPPER AND LOWER HORIZONTAL SIDES AND A PAIR OF VERTICAL SIDES, AND SECURING SAID WRAPPER TO SAID VEHICLE IN OVERLAPPING RELATION WITH THE SAID CLOSURE LOWER HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL SIDES. 